Canyonlands National Park Hiking Guide
Welcome to the Canyonlands National Park Hiking Guide
Here you will find information on hiking trails for day hikes and backcountry exploration, biking paths, and wilderness areas of interest for hikers.
Here you will find information on hiking trails for day hikes and backcountry exploration, biking paths, and wilderness areas of interest for hikers.
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Backpacking
Much of Canyonlands is managed as undeveloped land, and the park has become an increasingly popular destination for backcountry travel. Permits are required for all overnight trips in the backcountry. During the spring and fall, demand for permits frequently exceeds the number available. If you plan to visit Canyonlands during peak season, it is recommended that you make reservations well in advance.
Sites and Zones
In order to protect natural and cultural resources and prevent crowding, the backcountry of Canyonlands is divided up into sites and zones, and access to each is limited. There are designated walk-in sites along some heavily traveled hiking trails, mostly in the Needles District, for use by backpackers. In more remote areas, where travel is limited to foot or boat, visitors stay in at-large zones and may choose their own campsites.
Water
Water is a limiting factor for most backcountry trips in Canyonlands. There are springs scattered throughout the park, mostly in canyon bottoms. There are also large areas, such as the Grabens in the Needles and the entire White Rim bench at the Island, where there are no reliable water sources. Obtaining drinking water from either the Green or Colorado rivers is difficult as the water is very silty and hard to purify. Backpacking groups are encouraged to pack in water whenever possible. Many springs marked on topographic maps may dry up during periods of drought. Spring locations and current conditions are available at district visitor centers.
Biking
Canyonlands is famous for its mountain biking terrain, particularly for the 100-mile White Rim Road at the Island in the Sky. The Maze District also offers some multi-day trip possibilities, though the logistics and roads are tougher. Many of the roads in the Needles District travel up wash bottoms and are unsuitable for bikes due to deep sand and water.
Permits are required for all overnight trips in the backcountry. During the spring and fall, demand for permits frequently exceeds the number available. If you plan to visit Canyonlands during peak season, especially to camp along the White Rim Road, it is recommended that you make reservations well in advance. These permits can be reserved starting the second Monday in July for the next calendar year.
Mountain bikes groups must remain on established roads and camp in designated sites. There is no single track riding in the park. Campsites and mileages are shown on each of the maps available on this Web site. A support vehicle is recommended for all multi-day bike trips as there are no water sources along most of the roads. Guided trips are available for many destinations within Canyonlands
Boating
The Colorado and Green rivers have played a large role in shaping the landscape of Canyonlands, and both offer a unique way to visit the park's backcountry. Permits are required for all overnight trips on the river, and for day trips through Cataract Canyon. Boating permits can be reserved in advance starting the first business day of each calendar year.
Above their confluence, the Colorado and Green rivers are Class I flat water, perfect for canoes, sea kayaks and other shallow- water boats. Below the confluence, the combined flow of both rivers spills down Cataract Canyon with remarkable speed and power, creating a challenging stretch of Class III-V white water. Personal water craft are not permitted on the rivers in Canyonlands. The waters of Lake Powell inundate much of Cataract Canyon below the park boundary, creating a 30-mile stretch of water with no current and frequent, up-canyon winds. Non-motorized river trips may want to arrange a shuttle to reach the take out at Hite Marina.
River permits must be obtained from the reservation office at park headquarters in Moab, UT. The reservation office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm (special hours apply for phone calls, see below). Before contacting the reservation office, visitors interested in flat water trips should make their upstream travel arrangements. Jet boat shuttles from the Confluence or Spanish Bottom to Moab are available from two licensed operators.
River permits are usually mailed in advance.
In order to receive a permit by mail, visitors must contact the reservation office at least two weeks before a trip begins. Groups must provide vehicle information for all vehicles that will be in the park overnight (license plate #, state of registration, make, model, color) and coordinate parking arrangements for any vehicles left at trailheads before a permit can be mailed.
The reservation office and district visitor centers are closed on some federal holidays.
Reservation office staff are available by phone to answer questions and assist with trip planning Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 12:30 pm (MST), at: 435-259-4351.
When the workload permits, phones may be answered until 4:00 pm. Please have a map available if you would like assistance with trip-planning.
Reservations may not be made over the phone.
Climbing
The sandstone towers at the Island in the Sky attract the most rock climbers. Little climbing is done in the rest of the park due to the poor rock quality and a lack of established routes. Permits are not required for technical rock climbing unless it involves an overnight stay in the backcountry.
Regulations
Technical rock climbing is prohibited in the Salt Creek Archeological District in the Needles, in the Horseshoe Canyon Unit of the Maze District, into any archeological site or cultural resource, or on any arch or natural bridge in Canyonlands National Park or the Orange Cliffs Unit of Glen Canyon NRA named on a USGS map, with the exception of Washer Woman Arch at the Island. The intentional removal of lichen or plants from rock is prohibited. The physical altering of rock faces by chiseling, glue reinforcement of existing holds, and gluing of new holds is prohibited. The use of motorized power drills is prohibited.
All climbing shall be free or clean aid climbing with the following exceptions:
- No new climbing hardware may be left in a fixed location; however, if a hardware item is unsafe, it may be replaced.
- Protection may not be placed with the use of a hammer except to replace existing belay and rappel anchors and bolts on existing routes, or for emergency self-rescue.
- If an existing software item (sling, etc.) is unsafe, it may be replaced (software that is left in place must match the rock surface in color).
- Canyoneering (cross-country travel involving the occasional use of climbing equipment) may occur in areas closed to rock climbing, but must occur at least 300 feet away from cultural sites.
Four-Wheel Driving
There are hundreds of miles of four-wheel-drive roads in Canyonlands, providing access to various campsites, trailheads and viewpoints in the park's backcountry. These roads range in difficulty from intermediate, like the White Rim Road at the Island in the Sky, to extremely technical routes like Elephant Hill in the Needles. Roads in the Maze District are equally challenging, and the district's remoteness requires a greater degree of self-sufficiency.
Permits are required for all overnight trips in the backcountry. During the spring and fall, demand for permits frequently exceeds the number available. If you plan to visit Canyonlands during peak season, especially to camp along the White Rim Road, it is recommended that you make reservations well in advance. These permits can be reserved starting the second Monday in July for the next calendar year.
All vehicles must remain on established roads and must be "street legal." ATVs are not permitted. High-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicles and some experience are required for most backcountry roads. Other vehicles (e.g. low-clearance all-wheel-drive or high-clearance 2WD) usually have difficulty negotiating the rough slickrock, loose rocks, deep sand and steep switchbacks found throughout the park
Hiking
Hiking in the Canyonlands National Park can be a fun and rewarding experience as in other national parks. It is a great way to both see and experience the park.
Canyonlands has hundreds of miles of hiking trails which explore the park's natural and cultural features. Both the Island in the Sky and the Needles provide ample opportunities for short walks, day hikes and backpacking trips. Due to its remoteness, the Maze is primarily a backpacking destination.
Trails are usually marked with cairns (small rock piles) and have signs at intersections. Many remote trails do not receive regular maintenance and may not be adequately marked. All backcountry hikers should carry a topographic map. Maps and guidebooks can be ordered through the bookstore.
| Type | Trail | Length | Description |
| Easy Trails | Grand View Point | 2 mi round trip | An easy walk out to the very end of the Island in the Sky mesa. Panoramic views |
| Mesa Arch | .5 mi round trip | A mild walk out to an arch perched right on a cliff edge. A great sunrise hike | |
| Murphy Point | 1.3 mi round trip | A fairly level walk along an old road to a cliff edge overlooking the vast basins below the Island mesa top. This trail accesses the only backpacking zone on the mesa top | |
| White Rim Overlook | 1.5 mi round trip | Great view of the White Rim Road | |
| Moderate Trails | Aztec Butte | 2 mi round trip | A steep climb up a slickrock dome leads to some ancestral Puebloan granaries and outstanding views of Taylor Canyon. Elevation Change: 225 ft |
| Neck Spring | 5 mi round trip | Loop hike passing nearby springs and historic ranching materials. Elevation Change: 300 ft | |
| Upheaval Dome Overlook | 1 mi to main overlook | Good view of a very intriguing rock formation. Hiking to the second overlook adds 1 mi. Elevation Change: 50 ft | |
| Whale Rock | 1 mi to main overlook | Fairly steep route up Whale Rock. Good views, Elevation Change: 100 ft | |
| Long Trails | Alcove Spring | 20 mi to river | Trail descends via steep switchbacks to a rocky wash that leads into the broad, steep-walled Taylor Canyon. Hikers can follow the four-wheel-drive road to the Green River. Four at-large camping permits are available. Groups may encounter significant traffic on the roads as well as on the river. Returning to the trailhead via Upheaval Canyon slightly reduces the round-trip mileage |
| Gooseberry | 6 mi to White Rim | Trail descends via steep switchbacks to a rocky wash that leads to the White Rim Road. There is no access to the Colorado River. Three at-large camping permits are available. Groups may encounter significant vehicle traffic on the White Rim Road | |
| Lathrop | 17 mi to Colorado River | After crossing grasslands on the mesa top, this trail descends via steep switchbacks to a boulder- strewn wash that leads to the White Rim Road. Hikers can follow the spur road down into Lathrop Canyon. Three at-large camping permits are available. Groups may encounter significant traffic on the road as well as on the river | |
| Murphy Loop | 9 mi | A few miles of hiking on the mesa top leads to a steep descent down a cliff face to a bench where the trail divides. One fork continues along Murphy Hogback, a slim mesa with great views of the White Rim Formation and the surrounding canyons. At Murphy camp, hikers follow the White Rim Road south for about a mile, then follow a rock strewn wash back up onto the hogback. At large backpacking only. No water. | |
| Syncline Loop | 8 mi | This strenuous trail follows the washes on either side of Upheaval Dome, forming a loop that provides access to both the crater and the Green River near its midpoint. Total elevation change is roughly 1,300 feet. The north side of the loop passes through a riparian area where water and shade are usually available. There is one designated campsite along the trail. Permit required for overnight camping | |
| Wilhite | 10 mi |
Trail descends via steep switchbacks to a rocky wash that leads to the White Rim Road. There is no access to the Colorado River. At large camping permits are available. Groups may encounter significant vehicle traffic on the White Rim Road | |
| Trails Along The White Rim Road | Fort Bottom Ruin | 4 mi |
Moderate trail leads to a prehistoric, ancestral puebloan structure perched above the Green River. Spur trail leads down to historic cabin on Fort Bottom |
| Gooseneck | 1 mi |
Moderate trail leads to a view of a "gooseneck" meander of the Colorado River | |
| Moses and Zeus | 1 mi |
Strenuous trail provides great views of Taylor Canyon and access to climbing routes on these towers |
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